Plate cylinder mountings for printing presses



Nov; 27, 1962 F. HELLER ETAL 3,055,690

PLATE CYLINDER MOUNTINGS FOR PRINTING PRESSES 6 SheetsSheet l Filed Dec. so, 1959 BY ATTORNEYS NQ 6 f K \N \N NH F. HELLER ETAL Nov. 21, 1962 PLATE CYLINDER MOUNTINGS FOR PRINTING PRESSES 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 50, 1959 INVENTORS ATTORNEYS Filed Dec. 30, 1959 Nov. 27, 1962 F. HELLER ETAL 3,065,690

PLATE CYLINDER MOUNTINGS FOR PRINTING PRESSES 6 Sheets-Sheet 3 kg E Q INVENTORS g WW BY %':Z;w a4 My 9&2;

' ATTORNEYS Nov. 27, 1962 F. HELLER ETAL 3,065,690

PLATE CYLINDER MOUNTINGS FOR PRINTING PRESSES Filed Dec. 30, 1959 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 ATTORNEYS F. HELLER ETAL Nov. 27, 1962 PLATE CYLINDER MOUNTINGS FOR PRINTING PRESSES Filed Dec. 30, 1959 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTORS ATTORNEYS F. HELLER ETAL 3,065,690

6 Sheets-Sheet 6 J mWQ \w INVENTORS ATTORNEYS Nov. 27, 1962 PLATE CYLINDER MOUNTINGS FOR PRINTING PRESSES Filed D60. 30, 1959 United States Patent Gfifice Patented Nov. 27, 1962 3,055,690 PLATE CYLINDER MOUNTINGS FOR PRINTING PRESSES Franz Heller, Mount Vernon, and Alphonse Steyer, Yonkers, N.Y., assignors to American Type Founders Co. Inc., Elizabeth, N..I., a corporation of Delaware Filed Dec. 30, 1959, Ser. No. 862,935 13 Claims. (Cl. 101-142) This invention relates to printing presses and more particularly to the plate cylinders and associated mechanisms of a rotary press.

In lithographic or offset printing, each of the printing couples usually comprises an impression cylinder and a blanket cylinder between which the sheet or web to be printed is passed. In some perfecting presses, especially of the web printing type, two blanket offset cylinders may be disposed for rolling engagement to print both sides of the Web passing between them, each acting as an impression cylinder for the other. Each blanket cylinder runs in surface contact with a plate cylinder from which it receives an ink image of the composition or pictorial representation and in turn transfers it to the paper.

The lithographic or offset plate is relatively thin and is wrapped around the plate cylinder after its head and tail end portions have been bent at an angle to the major image 'bearing part of the plate. These bent ends are seized by appropriate gripper means recessed within the surface of the cylinder proper.

One means for insuring the proper bending of the plates for precise alignment and register is shown and described in the copending application of Franz Heller, Serial No. 852,260, filed November 12, 1959. However, in cases Where such precision methods are not pursued, the ends of the plates may not be squarely bent and the images on the plates may be canted or misaligned.

Even a slight misalignment may have serious consequences, and it does not usually come to light until the plate is applied to the plate cylinder and printing begun. On multiple unit presses and especially in multi-color work, misalignment will cause faulty registration between successively printed images. When such defects were discovered, either a new plate had to be made or the leading edge portion of the plate re-bent, either of which operations of course give rise to annoying delays and extra costs.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide novel and improved means and methods for correcting plate misalignment Without removing the plate or plate cylinder from the press.

The present applicants have discovered that the axis of a plate cylinder may be skewed or canted at a slight angle with respect to its normal position of parallelism with the axis of the related blanket cylinder, Without interference or harm to the normal operation of the printing couple. Such angular adjustment is conveniently made by shifting the bearing point at one end of the plate cylinder about the opposite bearing point as a center, and in a direction which is perpendicular to a plane passing through the normal axes of the two cylinders. The maximum angular shift of one end of the plate cylinder to compensate for the errors in plate alignment and register usually encountered, is well within the limits permitted by hearing considerations and the maintaining of proper rolling impression contact between the two cylinders forming the printing couple.

A more specific object of the invention therefore is the provision of novel means for shifting at least one end of the plate cylinder of a press of this general character in a direction and to a degree adequate to compensate for any errors in the accurate rectilinear placement of the printing plate which would otherwise cause misalignment and non-registry of the resulting printed image.

However, in lithographic and offset printing, the plate cylinder is surrounded and serviced by a plurality of rollers comprising the ink and water supplying systems. In one common installation, there are three ink form rollers, but in this instance these are in approximate general alignment in a direction perpendicular to the common axial plane of the plate and blanket cylinders, or in other words, in the direction of the proposed shift or skewing of the plate cylinder; and thus a negligible interference with these inking rollers is encountered. On the other hand, the desired shift is more directly opposed to the positions of the water form rollers and some provision must be made for effecting a corresponding displacement of the ends of these water rollers adjacent the shifted end of the plate cylinder.

It is therefore a further object of the invention to provide means in association with the novel plate cylinder angling devices, for effecting a corresponding displacement of at least one end of certain of the auxiliary form rollers running in contact with the plate cylinder. Obviously, the novel compensating mechanism may be applied either to water supplying form rollers or inking form rollers depending upon the necessities of each individual case.

Other objects and features of novelty will be apparent from the following specification when read in connection with the accompanying drawings in which one embodiment of the invention is illustrated by way of example.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary view in side elevation of a printing press embodying the principles of the present invention, the view being taken from a point just outside of a side frame portion of the press in a direction axially of one of the plate cylinders thereof;

FIGURE 2 is a similar view but taken from a point just inside of the press frame as from the line 22 of FIG- URE 3 of the drawings;

FIGURE 3 is a view in vertical transverse section taken approximately on line 3-3 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary sectional view of a portion of the form roller mechanism of the press taken on line 44 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 5 is a sectional view of the same portion of the mechanism but taken at substantially right angles to FIG- URE 4 as along the line 5-5 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURES 6 and 7 are diagrammatic operational views somewhat similar to the lower left-hand portion of FIG- URE 2 and showing certain of the form rollers in on and oil positions respectively;

FIGURE 8 is a fragmentary view in elevation of a portion of the compensating mechanism as taken from line 8-8 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 9 is a fragmentary view in elevation of a portion of the plate cylinder skewing mechanism as seen from line 9-9 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 10 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on line 1010 of FIGURE 3 through one of the bearing mountings for the plate cylinder;

FIGURE 11 is a sectional view taken approximately and blanket cylinders;

FIGURE 12 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on line 12-12 of FIGURE 1; and

FIGURE 13 is a fragmentary view in elevation of a portion of the form roller throw-out linkages.

In following the basic structure of the plate cylinder installation the press chosen as an example for the illustration of the invention, it may be well to start with a con- .3 sideration Of FIGURES 3 and 11 which show the spanning of the press from one side to the other by the plate cylinder and associated rollers, and at the same time visualize the associated bearing and adjusting means for the plate cylinder and the rollers by observing the views of FIGURES 1 and 2 taken respectively from the outside and the inside of the side frame located toward the left-hand sides of FIGURES 3 and 11.

The left-hand side frame as viewed in FIGURES 3 and 11 is designated by the reference numeral and may be referred to as the near side frame, and the right-hand or far. side frame is identified by the numeral 12. Within a bore 13 of the side frame 12 there is fixed a bearing bushing 15 within which an anti-friction bearing 16 is disposed. The bearing assembly is preferably of the spherical roller bearing type having inner races 17 and outer races 18 between which the bearing rollers 19 are caged. There is no particular novelty in'the bearings themselves and these may be purchased on the open market and are of a general known type which are susceptible of accommodating a slight angular movement ofthe enclosed shaft without interference with a true and accurate rotary support thereof. The bearing 16 serves to support the attenuated, trunnion or gudgeon potion 20 of the plate cylinder shaft- 21', said plate cylinder itself bearing the designation 25. A further extension 26 of the shaft has a drive gear 28 keyed upon it as at 29, and the sleeve 15 may be provided with a closure ring 30 for affording a dust seal for the bearing.

At the near side of the press the side frame 10 is provided with a' bore similar to the bore 13 in the frame 12, and fixedly secured within the bore 35' is the sleeve member 36, whichhas a cylindrical external surface centered'about the axis of. the plate cylinder but an eccentrically formed inner cylindrical surface. The eccentricity of this sleeve is most clearly shown in FIGURE 10 of the drawings. I

Within the eccentrically formed cylindrical interior of thesleeve 36, there is mounted for rotative adjustment the eccentric bearing box 38. Bearing assemblies 16 which may be of identical construction to the ones similarly numbered at the far side ofthe press are received within the interior of the bearing box 38 and these hearings serve to support the gudgeon portion 39. of the shaft 21 o f-the plate cylinder 25. The outer races 18 of the bearing assembly 16 at this end of the press are clamped in position' by means of the retainer cap 40, this cap being secured to the outward portion of the bearing box 38 by means of the bolts or screws 42. An inwardly projecting flange-43 abuts, the race 18.

The eccentric sleeve 36 is fixedly disposed with its thickest and thinnest portions aligned along the common planeof the normal axes of the plate cylinder 25 and the blanket cylinders. 50, which plane is indicated at X in FIGURES 1: and 10, the thinner portion of the eccentric sleeve 36 being disposed nearest to the blanket cylinder. correspondingly, the eccentrically formed bearing box 38 is initially and normally disposed with its major and minor eccentricities aligned along the plane X but with its thicker side toward the blanket cylinder. Thus it will be seen that in this initial position the eccentricities of the sleeve 36 and the bearing box- 38 cancel each other out and: the cylinder shaft 21- and the plate cylinder'25 are in normal centered position.

It is of course obvious that since eccentric sleeve 36 is fixedly mounted within the bore 35 in the side frame 10, this element could be made unitary with the side frame by merely boring an opening inthe frame 10 corresponding to the eccentric inner surface of the sleeve, and the eccentric bearing box '38i'ns'erted therein for the rotative adjustment described. Thus, the opening made directly-in the side frame 10. would be eccentric to and out of registry with the corresponding opening in the opposite side frame 12 which accommodates the bearing supporting bushing15.

Now it will be very clearlyseen'that if the cylinder bearing box 38 is rotated a small amount in either direction from this initial position the center of the cylinder axis nearest the side frame 10 will be canted out of the plane X of parallelism with respect to the blanket cylinder. This displacement is in the direction along a semi-circular path ab as diagrammatically illustrated in FIGURE 10 of the drawings, and the maximum displacement allowed is indicated in somewhat exaggerated degree as occurring between the marks 0 and d. This deflection is also suggested in FIGURE 11 by the displaced axes e and 1 which are angularly disposed with respect to the normal axis g of the plate cylinder. Of course, the center of this rotative displacement is at the approximate center h of the right-hand bearing assembly 16 as viewed in FIGURE 11.

It has been experimentally determined that a displacement in either direction from the normal parallel axis of the plate cylinder suflicient to compensate for the usual amount of canting or misalignment encountered in runof-the-mill plate manufacture, can be attained without serious interference with the proper rolling image-transferring contact between theplate and blanket cylinders, and without disturbance of the proper bearing functions of the roller bearing assemblies 16. i

The means for accomplishing the offsetting of the axis of the plate cylinder as just described will now be unfolded with particular reference to FIGURES 1, 3, 9, 11 and 12 of the drawings. A gear segment 45 is bolted as at 46 to the adjusting cap member and meshing with the teeth of the gear segment are the threads of the worm 52. The worm 52 is pinned to the worm shaft 54 which is journalled in the bracket 55 secured to the press frame 10 as by means of the fastening elements 56. A hexagonal head element or nut 58 is fixed to the upper end of the worm shaft 54 so that a wrench or other suitable tool may be applied thereto for rotating the worm 52 and thus adjusting the cap member 40 through the desired angle. From FIGURE 9 it can be very clearly seen that the bracket 55 is so shaped as to position the axis of the worm shaft 54 at an angle to the plane of the press frame 10. This will cause the helix angle of the worm 52 to be transversely aligned with the teeth of the gear segment 45 so that it may be possible for the segment 45 to move axially of the plate cylinder to afford side register movement of the latter.

This side register adjustment is accomplished by means of the following devices. The outwardly extending end portion of the bearing box 38 is externally provided with rather large screw threads 60 and meshing with these threads are the threads of a large annular nut 62, this nut being provided with spur gear teeth 63 upon its outer periphery. An adjusting shaft shown at 65 in FIGURE 1 of the drawings carries a pinion 66 upon its end which meshes with the teeth 63 of the nut 62 and it will be readily seen that rotation of this adjusting shaft 65' will cause the nut 62 to rotate in threadedengagement with the bearing box 38. The nut 62 is confined against axial movement by means of the shroud or gib member 68 which is of suificient arcuate extent to properly confinethe nut 62. Thus it will be seen that upon rotation of the nut 62 the bearing box 38 can be adjusted axially of the cylinder to give side register movement thereto. A space, 15 is provided between the flange, of the opposite bearing bushing 15 and the outer wall of the side frame 12 to a"-- commodate the equivalent axial movement of the bearing 16 when the bearing box 38 is adjusted as above described.

As previously mentioned, the ink form rollers, which are normally in contact with the plate on the plate cylinder to ink the images thereon, are only slightly affected by the above described canting of the plate cylinder, at least in the particular press used for an example in the present application. However, the water form rollers. are more seriously affected by this canting adjustment of the plate,

cylinder. When the cylinder is moved in one direction it will move away from the water form rollers while movement in the other direction will cause the cylinder to crowd these rollers.

It is understood that the proposed novel compensating adjustment applied by the present invention to these auxiliary form rollers may be applied with equal facility to either ink form rollers or water form rollers, depending upon the structural arrangement of the form roller system with relation to the direction of canting of the plate cylinder.

One system of installation and operation of the inking form rollers and water form rollers of a lithographic or offset press of this type is illustrated generally to best advantage in FEGURES 2, 3, 6 and 7, while certain details of adjustment and operation are depicted by FIGURES 1, 4, 5 and 8. The ink form rollers are shown at 70, 71 and 72. The axles 73 of these ink rollers are trunnioned in anti-friction bearing assemblies 75 which are retained in the pivoted hangers 78 by means of the clamps 79, after appropriate adjustment as by means of the screws 76. The hangers 78 are of generally similar construction and two of these hangers are swung for pivotal adjustment upon the shanks or trunnions 80 of an ink vibrator roll 8'2. The third hanger 78 at the right-hand side of the roll 82 is swung from the shank 83 of the ink vibrator rollers 84, these rollers of the inking system being driven by conventional means in the usual way.

Two water forrn rollers 90 and 91 are provided as seen in the lower left-hand portion of FIGURE 2, these rolls having axles 92 trunnioned in the bearing blocks 93 which are secured within recesses in the hangers 95 as by means of the clamps 96, after appropriate adjustment as by means of the screws 94 and 97. The hangers 95- are commonly pivoted upon the shaft 98 of the water vibrator roller 99.

An inspection of FIGURE 2 will reveal that displacement of the axis of the plate cylinder 25 in either direction along the semi-circular line ab will not seriously affect the proper rolling contact with the ink rollers '70, 71 and 72 since these rollers are disposed in approximate alignment in the general direction of the line a-b. However, the water form rollers 90 and 91 will have to be correspondingly adjusted Whenever the canting or skewing of the plate cylinder is resorted to.

Before describing the means for compensating for interference with the water form rollers it would be well to describe the usual means for throwing the ink and water forming rollers into and out of operative contact with the plate cylinder. For an understanding of these features, reference is made particularly to FIGURES 1, 2, 3, 6 and 7.

Both the plain bearing sleeve or box 15 in the side frame 12 and the eccentric bearing supporting sleeve 36 in side frame are provided with annular extension flanges 100 inwardly of the bearings 16. These flanges are properly grooved to retain the adjustable spur gear segments or arcuate rack members 101 and 102.

Projecting outwardly from each of the hanger frames 95 of the water form rollers 90 and 91 in the direction toward the side frame 10 of the press is the freely rotatable headed pin 105. Rotatably mounted within an opening 107 in the adjacent portion of the side frame of the press is the shank 108 of the pinion 110 which meshes with the adjustable arcuate rack member 101. Eccentrically and rotatably disposed within an opening in the gear member 110 is a headed pin 112. Transverse reversely threaded openings are formed in the respective heads of the pins 105 and 112, and a threaded connector bar 115 having right-hand and left-hand screw threads at its respective opposite ends is threaded through the openings in the pins or studs 105 and 112. One end of the bar 115 is squared as at 116 for adjustment by means of a wrench or other suitable tool. readily understood that with the pinion 110 in a given position, rotation of the connecting bar 115 will swing It will be a the water form roller to or from the plate cylinder to establish the proper bearing pressure. This will be quite clear from the rather diagrammatic showings in FIG- URES 4, 6 and 7.

The same adjustment features are employed in connection with the ink form rollers 70, 71 and 72 and the same reference characters are applied to those details. However, the pinions mounted on the stub shafts or shanks 108 in the case of the ink rollers, mesh with the spur gear segment 102, whereas the pinions 110 for the water rollers are in meshing engagement with the gear segment 101.

It will be readily understood from the diagrammatic views in FIGURES 6 and 7 that rotation of the pinions 110 by means of the arcuate movement of the gear segment 161 from the position shown in FIGURE 6 to the position shown in FIGURE 7 will effect the revolution of the stud 112 about the center of the pinion 110 and thus the hanger frames 95 of the Water form rollers will be displaced by means of the connecting bar to a position where the rollers 90 and 91 will move away from the plate cylinder 25.

The actuation of the arcuate racks 101 and 102 will now be described. Adjacent the right-hand side of FIG- URE 1 there is shown an elongated link 120 the lower end of which is connected to suitable throw-off mechanism common to presses of this type and of conventional construction which need not be described. The upper end of the throw-off link 120 is pivotally connected as at 121 with a crank arm 122 carried by a shaft 125 rotatably mounted in one of the side frames. At a suitable point along its length the shaft 125 carries a spur gear 127 which drives an idler 128 which in turn meshes with a gear 129 carried by a shaft 130 also mounted in the frames of the press. A crank arm 132 is fixed to the shaft 130 and is connected by means of a link 133 to a lever arm 134 pivoted upon a stub shaft 135 intermediate its length and carrying an arcuate gear segment 136 at its outward end. This gear segment 136 meshes with the teeth of the adjusting rack 102.

Now the similar transmission mechanism for throwing off the water form rollers 90 and 91 must be qualified by the explanation that these rollers at one side of the press, adjacent the side frame 12, differ from the corresponding mechanism at the opposite side of the press just inside of the side frame 10. FIGURE 2 depicts a portion of the connecting mechanism for the last mentioned side of the installation and the fragmentary FIG- URE 13 shows the corresponding elements at the far side of the press near the frame 12. Just inside of the two press frames the shaft 125 rigidly carries a crank 140 and links 141 depend from this crank, and in the case of the mechanism adjacent the frame 12 of the press (FIGURE 13) the lower end of the link 141 is connected to an arm 142 of a bell crank member 143 which is carried upon a stub shaft 145 mounted in the press frame and another arm 144 is pivotally connected to a link 147 which is pivotally connected as at 148 with the arcuate adjusting rack 101 for the water rollers.

FIGURE 2 and the right-hand side of FIGURE 8 show the variant installation for this mechanism provided adjacent the press side frame 10. The same reference numerals are used in connection With the linkages, but the bearing means for the bell crank 143 differs in this water roller control installation at the side of the press where the maximum displacement of the plate cylinder axis occurs. Here, the pivot shaft 145 is replaced by a stub shaft which extends through the frame 10 and has an eccentric or cranked portion 156 just inside of the frame. The bell crank 143 is thus rotatably carried by the crank portion 156 of the shaft 155.

With the connections between the throw-off link 120 and the gear segments 101 and 102 thus established, it will be very readily perceived that an upward movement of the throw-off link 120 will rotate the crank 140 in a counterclockwise direction and through the depending link 141 also rotate the bell crank 143 in a counterclockwise direction. This will move the link 147 to the right as viewed in FIGURE 2 and carry the rack member 101 to the right, thus throwing out the water rollers from the engaged position shown in FIGURE 6 to the disengaged position of FIGURE 7.

Similarly, the counterclockwise rotation of the shaft will cause the crank 132, through the gearing 127129, to rotate in a counterclockwise direction also, thus lifting the link 133 and rotating the lever 134 in a counterclockwise direction and moving the ink roller controlling rack 102 toward the right in FIGURE 2, thus throwing out the ink rollers in just the same way as described in connection with the water rollers.

Now the modification of the adjustment of the near ends of the water rollers 90 and 91 adjacent the side frame 10 to compensate for skewing of the plate cylinder, will be described with particular reference to FIGURES 1, 8 and 12 of the drawings.

It will be recalled that the skewing of the plate cylinder is accomplished by the rotation of the worm shaft 54 whereby the worm 52 meshing with the gear segment 45 which is fixed to the control cap member 40 causes this member to rotate and thus turn the eccentric bearing box 38 within the eccentric sleeve 35, thus shifting the axis of the plate cylinder to the desired degree to compensate for any misalignment of the plate thereon.

Pivotally connected as at 160 to one peripheral edge portion of the adjusting cap or plate 40 is the elongated link 162, which link is of course disposed exteriorly of the side frame 10 for extension toward the position of the bell crank 143 which controls the water roller throwoff.

The shaft 155 upon the eccentrically offset portion 156. of which is disposed the crank 143, projects outwardly of the press frame 10 and carries upon its outer end a crank member 165 which comprises a block 166 pinned as at 167 to the shaft 155, and an extension plate 168 welded as at 169 to the block 166. The downwardly extending plate 168 is provided with an elongated slot 170 within which is adjustably positioned a pin 172. The link 162 is pivotally connected to the pin 172 in suitable fashion and the pin is capable of adjustment along the slot by means of the set screw 175.

From this disclosure it will be readily understood that whenever the plate cylinder skewing adjusting cap 40 is rotated, the link 162 will be moved in the appropriate direction and will rotate the shaft 155 in the frame 10 to a degree predetermined by the .adjustment of the screw 175, which will swing the eccentric portion 156 of the shaft 155 sufliciently to displace the crank 143 and thus move the link 147 to rotate the segment 101 and shift the water rollers 90 and 91 toward or from the plate cylinder depending upon which direction that cylinder has been skewed.

It will be further understood that this adjustment of the water roller positions to accommodate them to the skewing or displacement of the plate cylinder is accomplished without interference withthe throw-01f mechanism for these auxiliary rollers.

It will be understood that various changes and modifications may be made in the embodiment of the invention illustrated and described herein without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the following claims.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. In a rotary printing press, spaced side frames, a plate cylinder, bearings for the opposite ends of said plate cylinder on the respective side frames, a mating cylinder adapted to rotate in rolling contact with said plate cylinder and normally in parallel relation thereto with the axes of the two cylinders in a common diametric plane, hearings in said respective side frames for rotatably supporting said mating cylinder, a printing plate secured to the surface of said plate cylinder, an adjustable bearing mounting in one of said side frames for supporting one of the bearings of said plate cylinder, said bearing mounting comprising a sleeve having a cylindrical exterior surface mounted in an opening in said side frame, said sleeve having a cylindrical inner surface positioned eccentrically with respect to said outer surface thus providing in the sleeve diametrically opposite points of maximum and minimum thickness, these points being in alignment along the common axial plane of the cylinders, a second sleeve having cylindrical outer and inner surfaces also eccentrically disposed relatively to each other, said second sleeve containing the plate cylinder bearing and disposed Within said first named sleeve with its points of maximum and minimum thickness also disposed in alignment within the common axial plane, but in opposite relationship with the arrangement of said first named sleeve, and means for rotating one of said sleeves with relation to the other in either direction so as to shift said plate cylinder bearing in a direction perpendicular to the erstwhile common plane of said axes, so as to skew the plate cylinder out of said common p ane to compensate for any canting of the image bearing portion of said plate with respect to the cylinder axes which would otherwise give rise to faulty registration of the printed images.

2. In a rotary printing press, spaced side frames, a,

plate cylinder, bearings for the opposite ends of said plate cylinder on the respective side frames, a mating cylinder adapted to rotate in rolling contact with said plate cylinder and normally in parallel relation thereto with the axes of the two cylinders in a common diametric plane, bearings in said respective side frames for rotatably supporting said mating cylinder, a, printing plate secured to the surface of said plate cylinder, an adjustable bearing mounting in one of said side frames for supporting one of the bearings of said plate cylinder, said bearing mounting comprising a sleeve having a cylindrical exterior surface mounted in an opening in said side frame, said sleeve having a cylindrical inner surface positioned eccentrically with respect to said outer surface thus providing in the sleeve diametrically opposite points of maximum and minimum thickness, these points being in alignment along the common axial plane of the cylinders, a second sleeve having cylindrical outer and inner surfaces also eccentrically disposed relatively to each other, said second sleeve containing the plate cylinder bearing and disposed within said first named sleeve with its points of'maximum and minimum thickness also disposed in alignment Within the common axial plane, but in opposite relationship with the arrangement of said first named sleeve, and means for rotating said inner sleeve with relation to the other in either direction so as to shift said plate cylinder bearing in a direction perpendicular to the erstwhile common plane of said axes, so as to skew the plate cylinder out of said common plane to compensate for any canting of the image bearing portion of said plate with respect to the cylinder axes which would otherwise give rise to faulty registration of the printed images, said last named means comprising at least a segment of a worm gear secured to said inner sleeve, a worm in mesh with said gear, a worm shaft upon which said worm is fixed, means for rotatably mounting said worm shaft on a side frame of the press, and means whereby said worm shaft may be rotated to move said gear and thus rotate said inner sleeve to adjust said plate cylinder bearing.

3. In a rotary printing press, the construction as set forth in claim 2 in which means are provided for adjustably shifting said inner sleeve longitudinally of the normal axis of said plate cylinder and thus adjusting the bearings and thecylinder in such axial direction, the means for rotatably mounting said worm shaft being inclined with respect to the side frame, whereby said worm will be set at such an angle with respect to the gear on the inner eccentric sleeve that axial movement of said sleeve will occur tangentially of the worm and in a straight line, whereby longitudinal adjustment of the cylinder may be effected without rotation of the sleeve or skewing of the cylinder.

4. In a rotary printing press, spaced side frames, a plate cylinder, bearings for the opposite ends of said plate cylinder on the respective side frames, a mating cylinder adapted to rotate in rolling contact with said plate cylinder and normally in parallel relation thereto with the axes of the two cylinders in a common diametric plane, bearings in said respective side frames for rotatably supporting said mating cylinder, a printing plate secured to the surface of said plate cylinder, and means for adjustably shifting one of the bearings of said plate cylinder on the side frame in which it is disposed in a direction perpendicular to the erstwhile common plane of said axes, so as to skew the plate cylinder out of said common plane to compensate for any canting of the image bearing portion of said plate with respect to the cylinder axes which would other- Wise give rise to faulty registration of the printed images; a roller auxiliary to said plate cylinder, supported from said side frames for rotation normally in rolling contact with said plate cylinder, means operatively connected with the plate cylinder skewing means for adjusting the end of said roller nearer the skewed end of said plate cylinder respectively toward and away from the initial parallel position of said cylinder in accordance with the direction of skewing of said cylinder.

In a rotary printing press, a supporting frame, a plate cylinder mounted for rotation in said'frame, a cooperating cylinder also mounted in said frame and adapted to rotate in rolling contact with said plate cylinder and normally in parallel relation thereto with the axes of the two cylinders in a common diametric plane, a printing plate secured to the surface of said plate cylinder, and means for skewing said plate cylinder a slight amount in a direction perpendicular to the erstwhile common plane of said axes to compensate for any canting of the image bearing portion of said plate with respect to the cylinder axes which would otherwise give rise to faulty registration of the printed images; a roller auxiliary to said plate cylinder and having axles trunnioned in bearing blocks carried by supporting arms pivotally suspended from relatively fixed points on said press frame, whereby swinging of said arms in opposite directions brings the auxiliary roller respectively into and out of rolling contact with said plate cylinder, a rod having one end pivotally connected with the supporting arm for one end of said roller, the opposite end of said rod being eccentrically pivoted to a member rotatably mounted in one of said side frames, and means operatively connecting said rotatable member with said cylinder skewing means, whereby when said cylinder is skewed in one direction the supporting arm for that end of said auxiliary roller is swung to move the said end of said roller away from the normal axis of said plate cylinder, and when said cylinder is skewed in the other direction said supporting arm is swung to move said roller end in the direction toward said normal axis, and thus maintain proper rolling contact with said plate cylinder regardless of the skewing of the latter.

6. In a rotary printing press, the construction as set forth in claim 5 in which said rotary member is provided with a concentric spur gear portion, and said operative connecting means comprises a gear segment which meshes with said gear portion and a link connecting said rack with said skewing means.

7. In a rotary printing press, a supporting frame, a plate cylinder mounted for rotation in said frame, a cooperating cylinder also mounted in said frame and adapted to rotate in rolling contact with said plate cylinder and normally in parallel relation thereto with the axes of the two cylinders in a common diametric plane,

a printing plate sei'ciired to the surface of said plate cylinder, and means for skewing said plate cylinder a slight amount in a direction perpendicular to the erstwhile common plane of said axes, to compensate for any canting of the image bearing portion of said plate with respect to the cylinder axes which would otherwise give rise to faulty registration of the printed images; a roller auxiliary to said plate cylinder and supported by said frame for rotation normally in rolling contact with said plate cylinder, and throw-off means for moving both ends of said roller away from the axis of said plate cylinder at will to interrupt said rolling contact; and means operatively connecting said skewing means to a portion of said throwoif means to individually displace one end of said roller to and fro-m the normal axis of said plate cylinder, inaddition to the throw-off movement.

8. In a rotary printing press, the construction as set forth in claim 7 in which the opposite ends of said roller are trunnioned in swinging arms suspended from said frame at each side of the press, and said throw-off comprises means for swinging each of said arms to and from the axis of said plate cylinder, bell crank members rotatably supported in said supporting frame at each side of the press, a link operatively connecting one arm of each of said bell crank members to said roller arm swinging means, and linkages operatively connecting the other arms of said bell cranks to means for actuating said throw-off, the bell crank at the side of the press where the plate cylinder is skewed being eccentrically mounted in the press frame and a linkage operatively connecting said plate cylinder skewing means with said eccentric mounting to shift the pintle axis of that bell crank and thus move the arm thereof which is connected with the roller supporting swinging arms, thereby adjusting the latter to move the end of the roller toward and from the normal plate cylinder axis as required 9. In a rotary printing press, spaced side frames, a plate cylinder, bearings for the opposite ends of said plate cylinder on the respective side frames, a mating cylinder adapted to rotate in rolling contact with said plate cylinder and normally in parallel relation thereto with the axes of the two cylinders in a common diametric plane, hearings in said respective side frames for rotatably supporting said mating cylinder, a printing plate secured to the surface of said plate cylinder, an adjustable bearing mounting in one of said side frames for supporting one of the bearings of said plate cylinder, said bearing mounting comprising a sleeve having a cylindrical exterior surface mounted in an opening in said side frame, said sleeve having a cylindrical inner surface positioned eccentrically with respect to said outer surface thus providing diametrically opposite points of maximum and minimum thickness, these points being in alignment along the common axial plane of the cylinders, a second sleeve having cylindrical outer and inner surfaces also eccentrically disposed relatively to each other, said second sleeve containing the plate cylinder bearing and disposed within said first named sleeve with its points of maximum and minimum thickness also disposed in alignment within the common axial plane, but in opposite relationship with the arrangement of said first named sleeve, and means for rotating said inner sleeve with relation to the other in either direction so as to shift said plate cylinder hearing in a direction perpendicular to the erstwhile common plane of said axes, so as to skew the plate cylinder out of said common plane to compensate for any canting of the image bearing portion of said plate with respect to the cylinder axes which would otherwise give rise to faulty registration of the printed images; a roller auxiliary to said plate cylinder and having axles the ends of which are trunnioned in bearings, means supporting said bearings from the respective side frames for movement in opposite directions to bring said roller toward and from rolling contact with said plate cylinder, throw-off means on both side frames for so moving said respective bearings, a link having one end pivotally connected with said inner adjustable eccentric sleeve and the other end operatively connected with said bearing moving means on one side of the press to move it independently of the bearing at the opposite side of the press and thus angle the roller in proportion to the skewing of the plate cylinder, whereby proper rolling contact is made between the plate cylinder and said roller when the throw-01f bearing moving means are actuated in the appropriate direction.

10. In a rotary printing press, the construction as set forth in claim 9 in which said throw-off bearing moving means comprises a pair of crank members, each mounted on stub shafts in one of the side frames and links pivotally connecting said cranks with the bearing supporting means at both sides of the press, the crank member at the side of the press where the eccentric bearing supporting sleeve for the plate cylinder is located being rotatably mounted on an eccentric portion of its stub shaft, an operating crank fixed to and extending radially from a concentric portion of said stub shaft which is rotatable in one of the side frames, and a link having one end pivotally connected to a point on said eccentric sleeve and the other to said last named operating crank, whereby upon adjusting said eccentric sleeve to skew the plate cylinder, the eccentric portion of the stub shaft carrying the crank for the bearing adjustment at one end of the auxiliary roller is swung a slight distance to shift the hearing at that end to cant the roller.

11. In a rotary printing press, the construction as set forth in claim 10 in which the said operating crank and said operating link are connected by means of an adjustable pin and slot connection for regulating the amount of canting applied to the roller for a given degree of skewing of the plate cylinder.

12. In a printing press of the class described, the subcombination involved in the skewing of a plate cylinder with respect to a blanket cylinder with which it is in rolling contact'and the corresponding canting of an auxiliary roller for following up said plate cylinder to maintain rolling contact therewith, which sub-combination comprises a sleeve having cylindrical external and internal surfaces formed eccentrically with respect to each other and set in an opening in one of the side frames of a press, a second sleeve having eccentric external and internal cylindrical surfaces and disposed within said first named sleeve and in complementary relation to the first sleeve, whereby the inner cylindrical surface of the inner sleeve is normally concentric with the outer cylindrical surface of the outer sleeve, a bearing for one end of the plate cylinder carried within said second named sleeve, a substantially circular cap member fixed to said inner sleeve and projecting axially outwardly thereof, a gear segment carried by said cap member and meshing with actuating means operable at will to rotate said inner sleeve and skew the plate cylinder bearing transversely of its axis, a pivot pin also carried by said cap member and a link having one end pivotally connected to said pivot pin and its opposite end operatively connected with roller shifting means.

13. In a rotary printing press, the construction as set forth in claim 12 in which the periphery of said cap member is provided with screw threads and an annular spur gear member provided with internal screw threads surrounds said cap member and is in threaded engagement therewith, means are provided for retaining said annular gear member against axial movement relative to the frame of the press, and a pinion meshing with said spur gear member, and means for rotating said pinion to adjust said plate cylinder bearing and said plate cylinder axially in either normal or skewed position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,517,969 Evans et al Dec. 2, 1924 1,647,948 Winkler Nov. 1, 1927 1,948,651 Eckhard Feb. 27, 1934 1,972,840 Graf Sept. 4, 1934 2,568,761 Peyrebrune Sept. 25, 1951 2,578,700 Harrold et al Dec. 18, 1951 2,853,943 Royer Sept. 30, 1958 2,855,846 Harless et al. Oct. 14, 1958 2,973,710 'Hantscho ac a Mar. 7, 1961 

